Bioidentical hormones – What are they?

This is part one of a multi-part blog covering the who, what, where, when and how questions that I receive daily about bioidentical hormone therapy.  Today we will start with the what and where.

Bioidentical hormones are medicines that are chemically identical to what your body makes naturally.  The names of these hormones are estradiol, estriol, estrone, progesterone, DHEA, testosterone, and cortisol.  The starting substance to make these hormones is Wild Yam.  The wild yam is altered in a laboratory in various ways to create all of these hormones. Thyroid hormones can also be bioidentical but are extracted from the thryoid gland of cow or pig.

Bioidentical hormones can come pre-made in designated doses and found in your local pharmacy or local Naturoapth’s office.  These are usually in the form of tablets, capsules and creams.  The bioidentical hormones from your local pharmacy are limited to estradiol and progesterone in limited concentrations.  The bioidentical hormones from your local Naturopath’s office can include all of the hormones except for testosterone in a greater variation of concentrations and combinations.

Bioidentical hormones can also come from a compounding pharmacy in every combination, concentration and delivery system possible.  These also need to be prescribed from your Naturopathic or conventional doctor.  Depending on symptoms, this is usually the most precise way to use bioidentical hormones.

Bioidentical hormones are theorized to be safer due to the fact that they are recognized by the body as something it has already been making since birth.  However, there are no good studies done on bioidentical hormones that prove this theory.  It is important to remember that no hormone therapy, natural or not, is completely risk free. 

Be sure to check back over the next month to know who can use, how you use, and when you should or shouldn’t use bioidentical hormone therapy.